One Month After Criminal Procedure Act Revision, Acting Commissioner General Visits Gangnam Police Station, Vows to Improve Investigators’ Working Conditions

[Financial News] Marking one month since the revised Criminal Procedure Act took effect, Kim Jong-chul, acting Commissioner General of the Korean National Police Agency, visited a frontline police station, encouraged investigators and pledged to improve their working conditions. Starting next year, police plan to expand support for investigative units, including by cutting the time required for promotion by length of service by one year for about 600 outstanding investigators.
According to the Korean National Police Agency on the 2nd, Acting Commissioner General Kim visited Gangnam Police Station in Seoul at around 7 p.m. the previous day, where he encouraged investigators working on a holiday evening and heard about the challenges they face in the field.
The visit was arranged to express gratitude to field investigators adapting to the investigative procedures changed by the revised Criminal Procedure Act, which took effect on the 2nd of last month, and to review what support they need.
Acting Commissioner General Kim said, "I am deeply grateful for the dedication of field investigators who, even amid major changes to the criminal justice system, quietly protect public safety and do their utmost to handle cases." He added, "You are the steadfast backbone of police investigations, doing your utmost at night and on holidays so that people can rely on you whenever they need help."
He continued, "For the new criminal justice system to become firmly established, field investigators must be able to take pride in their work and devote themselves to their duties." He stressed, "We will ensure they have the authority and working conditions commensurate with their responsibilities, and actively support them so that investigative units become the places people most want to work."
The Korean National Police Agency is pursuing increases in investigative staffing and the budget. Starting next year, it plans to select about 600 outstanding investigators at the rank of inspector or below and cut the time required for promotion by length of service by one year. It also plans to award bonus points in the comprehensive police performance evaluation to investigation teams and Women and Juvenile Investigation Teams, and to increase the number of specialist posts and special promotions. It is also working to increase case investigation expenses.
For the month since the revised Criminal Procedure Act took effect, police have continued handling cases under the new investigative system and cooperating with relevant agencies. They took over 1,954 cases for which prosecutors had issued wanted notices and completed necessary follow-up measures, including securing warrants and issuing wanted alerts. Police are also taking over and handling, in stages, cases that the prosecution had been investigating.
Investigation cooperation units have been established at police agencies across the country to strengthen ongoing cooperation with the Prosecution Office. During an insurance fraud investigation, the Gwangju Police Agency consulted with the Prosecution Office in advance and requested an arrest warrant on the 2nd of last month. Ulsan Southern Police Station also referred a case to prosecutors five days before its statute of limitations expired, enabling an indictment to be filed the day before the deadline.
Cooperation with the Serious Crimes Investigation Agency (SCIA) is also underway. In the 19 days since the SCIA was launched, police have reported identifying 2,002 serious-crime cases and are discussing the transfer of individual cases and ways to cooperate on investigations.
Acting Commissioner General Kim said, "I ask you to make even greater efforts to conduct prompt and fair investigations so that the public can experience the changes in the new criminal justice system in a positive way." He added, "The Korean National Police Agency will also listen closely to voices from the field and do its utmost to ensure investigators’ dedication is properly recognized and rewarded."
[email protected] Kim Ye-ji Reporter